CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. – Pennsylvania law enforcement authorities are searching for an inmate recently convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 2021 who escaped from the Chester County Prison, according to reports.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Danelo Cavalcante, 34 escaped from custody early Thursday morning. He is considered “extremely dangerous,” according to District Attorney Deborah Ryan, who urged anyone who sees him to call 9-1-1 immediately.
Cavalcante is an undocumented immigrant from Brazil. He was convicted earlier this month of killing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, outside of her home in Schuylkill Township, according to the news outlet.
Officials have released sparse information about Cavalcante’s escape, saying that the matter remains under investigation. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and gray shorts, police said. He is about 5 feet tall and 120 pounds, and has brown eyes and long, black curly hair.
Cavalcante is a native Brazilian who illegally immigrated to the U.S. after a warrant was issued for his arrest for murder in his home country in 2017, investigators confirmed.
His journey to the U.S. first took him to Puerto Rico, where he obtained bogus identification, and then to America, according to evidence presented during his trial earlier this month.
Cavalcante eventually settled in Chester County since he had friends that arrived there ahead of him. He worked for a while in construction and other trades, prosecutors said, and rented a storage trailer that he parked at a lot in East Pikeland Township, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Meanwhile, Chester County Detectives and U.S. Marshals are searching for the fugitive, who most recently lived in Royersford, according to court documents.
